The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The appeal is in the case of an athlete’s status for refusing to submit a sample. The appeal came following the decision of a national hearing panel of the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority. It was filed on 27 August 2025, to clear athlete, Diribe Welteji, of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
The AIU obtained the case file from the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 1 September 2025. Following the review, filed its appeal with CAS on 8 September 2025.
As part of the appeal, the AIU has requested provisional measures from CAS. They declared the athlete ineligible to compete pending the outcome of the appeal. That application will be heard by the CAS Division President. He will determine whether Welteji may compete at the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Welteji is entered in the women’s 1500 metres, the heats of which are on Saturday, 13 September 2025. A decision is expected from CAS before Saturday.
The 23-year-old finished fourth in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She took silver during the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships in the metric mile. She also earned a silver medal at the 2025 Nanjing World Indoor Championships.
Welteji has run as fast as 3:51.44. The Ethiopian record is currently held by Genzebe Dibaba from the Herculis meet 10 years ago, where she clocked 3:50.07. The world record is held by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon at 3:48.68. She set the time during the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Welteji holds the world mile (1609m) road record or the world’s best known time at 4:20.98.
